


Lady Liberty

by pyr0technic



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies), 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-07 22:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyr0technic/pseuds/pyr0technic
Summary: Miles Edgeworth transfers schools, and Phoenix Wright never sees him again. Twelve years later, he sees him on a recruitment list for the Jaegar Programme.Edgeworth was going to pilot a jaegar.And Phoenix wasn't going to standby idly anymore.





	1. Ex Parte

**Author's Note:**

> hello 2 one and all!
> 
> it's been a long time since i've wrote since joining college but i realized this is something i'd still like to do in my free time! i thought of finishing the fic before posting it but lol 1) when have i EVER done that and 2) i decided i wanted feedback before i continued!
> 
> i thrive on input and thoughts from readers like you, so i'd absolutely LOVE for you guys to tell me your thoughts, good OR bad, down in the comments! my writing is a little rusty since it's been so long, so feel free to point out anything that seems awkward or issues with the grammar. (also: i've been wanting a beta reader. anyone who's interested, pls contact me!)
> 
> and also lastly, this is a pacific rim!au. in other words, it's the ace attorney universe assuming that the events that happened in pacific rim happened to it as well. no, you don't need to know anything about pacific rim to enjoy this fic. i give enough context and explanation throughout the fic.
> 
> anyway that's all from my end. please read! can't say when the next update will be, but i am working on the future chapters rn!

It all started on on that day, when Phoenix caught sight of a familiar name flickering onto his television screen.

That name was only all too familiar. Phoenix had spent the better half of a decade writing that very name at the beginning of nearly every letter he wrote. When all he got in return was the feeling that something was horribly wrong, he sometimes wavered and wondered if it was worth his time or energy.

After all, there was nothing he could do about it. Phoenix was forced to accept that he might not be able to see that person again. 

The lingering feelings of uncertainty and bitterness slowly ebbed away as Phoenix continued to listen to the news broadcast.

“… _And that concludes the list of recruitments of the Jaegar Programme in 2016. While the war against the kaiju only seems to worsen with time, the government is now requiring all high school graduates and college graduates to undergo an additional examination after their respective final papers.”_

Phoenix’s eyes widened.

_Edgeworth… is going to pilot a jaegar?_

Phoenix sat down on one of the common hall couches and lowered the television volume once he realized the segment was over.

Once the shock wore off, the confusion began to set in.

The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t get it. At first, he thought maybe that he was selected since the examinations were now a requirement. But… Miles had been recruited some time ago, and the list had just been released. That meant he had taken the exam of his own volition. 

That meant… 

_Edgeworth wants to fight for the country._

It was true that the Miles of his childhood had wanted to be a defense attorney, but that was different. It was different because it was before this war on humanity had began.

Phoenix heaved a sigh as the memories came flooding back. He remembered sitting with Larry in his middle school math class when the news first got out. All the children had scrambled for their phones, ignoring their teacher’s futile protests to remain calm.

The things he saw… he could have never imagined. It was like something that had come out of some cheesy comic book, except it wasn’t like any type of drawing he had seen before. That was probably because it was completely and utterly real. No one could have imagined anything like that.

No one could imagine a monster that looked like that.

The attack was in their neighboring city of San Francisco. That wasn’t them. The teachers confiscated as many phones as they could, and declared that the rest of the day would continue as planned.

However, their efforts to control the children were in vain. How could one concentrate on algebra when there was a gigantic monster on the loose taking lives by the minute? 

Eventually, a news report was released later on that day. The monster had been killed, but with great effort. Many lives were lost. Many resources were lost. If anything like that ever happened again, it would not be feasible to fight them in the same manner. 

_The key word being if._

There was a long gap afterwards, where everyone did their best to forget it ever happened, as if it was better that way. 

And then, the monsters returned. 

After a series of attacks that were hard fought and becoming increasingly worse, it was clear that something bigger and better was needed. Thus, the Jaegar Programme was born. It was the culmination of a few smart engineers, a long meeting between the world’s leaders and a few willing sponsors. Jaegars were gigantic robots that were to be co-piloted by two trained rangers with the objective of killing kaiju (which was the name that had been coined for the beasts). That’s the extent that Phoenix knew, anyhow. There was a lot more involved that a common college student like him wouldn’t exactly know about.

Regardless, he remembered watching the fights on television some years ago. It seemed that humanity had finally gained some traction.

Phoenix unlocked his phone and idly opened one of his many time-wasting social media apps to discover yet another news article about a kaiju attack in South Carolina. The Black Tyrant, famously operated by a brilliant set of twins who had accumulated a number of wins over the past couple of years, was the jaegar to kill it. 

_I wonder what it would be like if I got in one of those things._

Phoenix smiled incredulously at the thought. It seemed comical, the idea of him in some giant robot, just desperately trying not to die. Then, he pictured Larry in the contraption next to him and couldn’t help but snort.

_Yeah, completely ridiculous._

Still, Phoenix couldn’t help but wonder. If Miles Edgeworth was going to pilot a jaegar, that surely meant him or Larry (or at least just him) could do it. In the very least, they could join as general officers to help with the war or something.

The more Phoenix thought about it, the less it seemed that it was out of his reach. He enjoyed the arts, but he realized that it would be even more amazing if he managed to qualify in the examinations and be able to become a part of the Jaegar Programme. What if Larry saw Miles’ name in the news and thought of the same thing?

_…Probably not. I’m giving Larry too much credit._

He clenched and unclenched his fist, listening to the low murmur of the news in the empty common hall. It was his decision to make. He had no one who would oppose the decision: as far as he knew, his parents would not object. 

_And I could see Edgeworth again._

The topic of Miles Edgeworth was a very private one for Phoenix, one that not many besides Larry knew about. It wasn’t just that he missed his old friend — of course, he did. It was that the circumstances surrounding his disappearance were very curious. It didn’t make any sense. There were rumors, too. Rumors that he was adopted by some political bigwig with the intention of being some type of successor. 

And the most curious thing of all: the fact that Miles went out of his way to ignore him. The friend he knew wouldn’t do something like that. He was purposefully trying to shut him out. Of course, it hurt, but Phoenix was more concerned about the other party.

What had happened to Miles to want to block out everyone from his past? 

He didn’t even know what university the other man went to, so he could never even attempt to find him or seek him out. The only knowledge he had of Miles’ whereabouts was that he had moved to Germany, and it’s not like he could afford a ticket to Europe at any given moment.

_I guess there’s only one way to find out._

Phoenix clenched his fist and made a decision. 

 

.&.

 

One year later, Phoenix returned to Los Angeles. 

During his senior year at Ivy University, the required additional examinations were still held just as planned. Phoenix hadn’t really studied for it because he wasn’t sure what to expect. He didn’t exactly have a plethora of resources to check from, anyway.

It didn’t matter, though, because it seemed to be an aptitude test. It wasn’t anything any student could exactly prepare for, especially if they were still set on pursuing their career from whatever degree they had chosen to complete that year.

Surprisingly, Phoenix was called back for the next exam. Out of nearly ten thousand students, very few were called back. Even some of the most intelligent students of his class, with the highest marks, did not qualify for the next round. Phoenix almost felt like an intruder when he walked into the next examination, the sole purpose of which was to whittle down the qualifying students even further.

The testing had lasted just a few more rounds. There were all kind of tests beyond written or theory. There were problem solving situations, realistic simulations to test quick thinking, and even physical examinations. These were rather unique, for they weren’t like any gym class that Phoenix had ever been to.

It had eventually whittled down to Phoenix and two other women from a different department. Both of them were from pre-med. He still couldn’t shake that feeling of beginner’s luck, though it was far past the beginning at that point.

They had sent all the candidates to the training center in Alaska. Braving the bitter cold on a daily basis had been a challenge on its own for Phoenix, who was used to sweltering summers and relatively mild winters. 

He managed, though. When he had time, he’d video call his parents. He even remembered to message Larry, who he’d never actually told that he’d become a part of the Jaegar Programme. He wasn’t sure how exactly to break the news to him, but Phoenix figured it’d be better if it was in person, or at least over phone call. Larry, for some odd reason or another, always seemed rather busy.

The year had passed by, and Phoenix allowed his mind to return to the present, where he was standing in front of the L.A. Shatterdome. Phoenix couldn’t help gaping internally while he took in the sight of the enormous building. His awed expression stared back at him, a reflection seen in the glimmering, polished exterior.

Once he entered inside, he was ushered to his dorm room by the assisting officers and told to settle in. Phoenix didn’t have much to do, however, besides unpacking his measly bag with minimal belongings. For a supposedly “sentimental” young man (his parents’ words, not his), he didn’t have too many mementos. 

Phoenix threw his clothes haphazardly into the bedside drawers and stuffed his toiletries into one of the tiny shelves in the one person bathroom. The room was quite plain and small. That probably didn’t matter though, because it wasn’t as if he was going to spend most of his time in it, anyway. He tossed his empty bags aside and fell onto the bed, limbs splayed out. 

_Now what?_

With an exasperated puff of air he flipped over onto his stomach to pick up his phone that was currently charging. He had spoken to his parents on his last day of training at the academy, but there wasn’t much time between getting discharged and boarding his flight back to L.A. He debated calling them back again, but he wasn’t sure what his schedule for the remainder of the day was.

He wondered what it would be like from here on out. The one year spent in Alaska had always kept him on his toes; he was so exhausted at the end of each day he’d pass out as soon as he reached his bed. At least he got a sound eight hours of sleep there, though. 

This wasn’t training anymore. The kaiju wouldn’t care about his sleeping schedule.

_But besides that… I’m finally going to pilot a jaegar. I… wonder who I’ll be with._

Phoenix mulled over the thought, a certain name floating around in his mind that he didn’t want to admit to anyone yet.

Luckily, he did not have to ponder it further. An officer came to knock at his door to inform him to head to the second floor’s training hall.

It was time to find his partner.

 

&.

 

The fightmaster overseeing the compatibility tests for piloting was named Mia Fey. Phoenix thought she was quite beautiful (though most likely several years older than him) and stared at her dumbly before he realized who she was, and that she was talking to him. 

“Wright? Are you hearing me? I asked you to step into the ring.”

Phoenix shook his head, deciding it would be a bad idea to make a fool himself this early on in the game. “Right.”

He was tossed a long wooden fighting stick. He grasped it firmly before tossing it around opposite hand to opposite hand, getting a feel for the instrument. 

“This will be your opponent,” Mia announced as another man stepped into the ring.

Phoenix had around one second to look up to witness his opponent flying at him. With one swift dodge and a blow to their gut, the match was over very quickly, Phoenix emerging victorious.

He was introduced to several other pilots following this match, with Phoenix losing or winning quite evenly. He discovered that it didn’t matter whether he won or lost, for the one common factor was that each of the matches ended quickly.

If this person was to be your potential co-pilot, they needed to be compatible enough to complement your fighting style. If they couldn’t stay in the ring with you for more than five minutes,they probably wouldn’t be able to synchronize their brains with yours in a gigantic metal robot.

This process was important for that very reason. A jeager was to be piloted by two rangers, as one brain alone could not handle the neural link. Just as a computer contains multiple cores, the enormous Jaegar could only be operated by at least two pilots. 

When Phoenix was done, he stood off to the side and joined the audience and other rangers to view the ongoing matches in the ring. He observed how varied all the fighting styles seemed to be, despite the fact that all of these people had trained in the same academy as him. Some were more defensive, some incorporating more martial arts, others relying on brute force.

In the end, they were all informed that they were to meet back tomorrow in on the fourth floor’s Simulation Room. This is where they would attempt what was known as a “neural handshake”. If this connection was established, the two would then be compatible and able to co-pilot a jaegar.

“Dismissed.” Mia opened up a holographic screen towards the side of the room and begin entering information while everyone dispersed and filed out of the room, most likely for showers and a much-needed lunch break.

Phoenix stood silently, unmoving, staring curiously at Mia. 

“Uh, hello… Chief?” 

Phoenix approached her while she continued working with the screen in front of her, fingers delicately sliding away.

“Wright, was it?” she replied after giving him a quick glance and returning to her task.

“Um… yeah. I was wondering if it’s possible if you could tell me who I matched with?”

Mia seemed to not hear him for a few moments. Before Phoenix could repeat himself, she replied, “Simmons, Waterlow, and Parson.”

Phoenix felt his high hopes deflate a little. “Oh. Right. Thank you!”

Mia finally turned to face him, giving him a friendly smile. “Any time. I’m always here if you have questions or need help.”

Phoenix raised his eyebrows, not expecting the sudden shift in personality. No one in the course of training was really openly friendly to him. He figured it was so that they maintained their whole rough regimen and so that no one went “soft.” 

Mia seemed to read his thoughts and chuckled. “Don’t worry, I revert to being approachable outside of the teaching setting.”

Phoenix smiled in return, unsure of what to say. She seemed nice, though, so he figured he ought to try making some sort of conversation.

“I actually also always wondered how this system of matching people works,” Phoenix finally said, grateful he had thought of something. “How do you input it into the system?”

“Well, we actually have a lot more data of you guys than you would think. All the times you were in a training simulation during your time at the academy, that was recorded. There’s information on the aspects to your fighting style, emotional responses to situations, and logical reasoning abilities. It’s a little tech based, and a little bit of me messing around with what I think would work.”

Phoenix didn’t know how he felt about a computer knowing more about himself than he did, but he nodded and stored the information away.

“You actually tend to lay low and strike in the last minute, when unexpected. It’s interesting,” Mia remarked, pulling up Phoenix’s profile on the screen.

Phoenix’s curiosity moved him closer to the screen, trying to take in what was displayed. He could understand about half of it. A lot of it seemed to be in code.

“Anyway, if you’re worried about not matching with anyone, don’t. It always takes time, and you’re not alone,” Mia reassured.

Phoenix looked to the side, realized she had assumed the wrong thing. “Haha, yeah…” he murmured sheepishly.

“Anyways, you should go get cleaned up and finish up your lunch break. You’ve got a busy rest of the day ahead of you.”

Phoenix groaned internally, realizing he was just beginning to feel the body ache creep up his back and limbs.

 

.&.

 

The cafeteria was much different than the one at the academy. The L.A. Shatterdome was very impressive on the exterior, and all of the equipment was top-notch, but this place seemed very lack-luster in comparison. 

The paint was peeling off the walls and the floor was an unappealing shade of yellow-green. The harsh fluorescent lighting didn’t do much to help make it better, either.

He stood in line, got his tray, and surveyed the room to find a place to sit. There seemed to be a bunch of groups already, and there weren’t many empty tables since he came late.

Phoenix sighed, feeling his spirits dampen further.

_I guess I don’t have the same drive I did earlier when I threw myself into training at the Academy. What’s the point of all of this if I just get up, sit alone, and “fight for my country” if I don’t get to see… see…_

He felt the frustration bubble up to his throat. He swallowed and shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He was told before that his inability to control his emotions predisposed him to acting irrationally and unsafely. Since then, he had learned to swallow back his anger and frustration.

Luckily, he found a table with another lone figure.

_Great. At least we can both be alone in peace._

Phoenix plopped his tray unenthusiastically on the table and sat down, not sparing the other stranger a glance. He appeared to be too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Though as much as he tried to ignore the feeling, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Phoenix idly stirred a spoon in his soup as he tried to remind himself it would be okay, and that he’d be fine,  and that…

The stranger across from him cleared their throat.

Phoenix looked up.

Miles Edgeworth’s face stared back at him.


	2. Continuance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the next chapter! as always, i would LOVE to hear any thoughts, good or bad, down in the comments section. love you all <3

Phoenix couldn’t remember the last time he had felt his brain go so blank and fuzzy. Time seemed to slow down, and the noisy background seemed to fade as his brain attempted to process it.

He felt something, a sound of indignation rise from his throat, but before it could tumbling out, someone called Edgeworth’s name.

“Edgeworth!” One of the LOCCENT officers stood by the exit door, motioning for him to follow. After a final sip of his water, Edgeworth quickly stood up and left.

What in the literal f–

Phoenix stood up, jaw slightly ajar in disbelief at the retreating sight of Edgeworth filing his way on out of the cafeteria.

Then, a thousand questions sprung to his mind at once.

_Did he even recognize me? Does he not care about me anymore? Is he still the same or is he different? Why didn’t he say anything? Was he just too preoccupied? Perhaps he saw me but didn’t register my face? Ugh, why didn’t I open my mouth and say anything when I had the chance?_

Phoenix mentally chided himself while he shoveled down the remainder of his food hastily, planning on getting up and leaving as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to follow after him, but it sure seemed better than sitting there and moping alone in the cafeteria.

He washed his hands at one of the wash basins and speed-walked out of the same door, scanning the area for any signs of the two that had left.

Though he couldn’t find a trace of who he was looking for, another familiar figure came from across the hallway, and it looked like she was heading for him.

“Chief?”

“Hello, Wright. I actually came here to ask you for a favor. There’s someone in our system who has had trouble drifting successfully for quite some time now, and according to our data it seems you’d be quite compatible with them. More compatible, in fact, than what we’ve seen so far. Are you up for one last spar tomorrow morning?”

_Well, whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that._

Phoenix shrugged, not exactly opposed to the idea, but not thrilled either.

_Though I guess this means I might be finding my partner sooner than I thought._

&.

Mia took him to a different training room than before and opened the door first, motioning for Phoenix to enter. He thanked her and walked inside, taking in the surroundings. It looked exactly like the other training room. Perhaps they were still cleaning up the other room.

_But it’s been a day, right? Maybe the room for yesterday was for new recruits._

Phoenix didn’t have much time to ponder it further, because he realized that there was a small crowd gathered outside of the main ring — and they were staring at him.

Phoenix blinked, and then followed their gaze to another place they appeared to be staring at.

Once again, Miles Edgeworth stood there, seemingly waiting for something.

The feeling he got from seeing him again was less fuzzy this time, but it still felt strange. Edgeworth seemed rather impatient. He also appeared fresh and considerably less sweaty than the other trainees, almost like he hadn't trained at all today... despite wearing his training uniform.

It took Phoenix a moment to put two and two together.

_There’s no way… the person who I was supposed to…_

Mia cleared her throat, signaling the room to go quiet.

Both men were handed the combat staffs.

“Alright, you may begin.”

Phoenix swallowed, his brain switching to autopilot as he mechanically walked into the ring. He caught Edgeworth’s gaze as he approached, hoping for a sign, or a connection, or something.

Edgeworth’s expression did not change once.

Instead, he swung.

Phoenix’s reflexes allowed him to dodge in time, but just barely. Feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins from the sudden action, he narrowed his eyes in concentration and begin to focus on his target, barely attempting to quell his thumping heart and angry expression.

_He’s… not reacting at all. There’s no way he doesn’t know me. Something must have changed._

The thought caused a spike of fear in his heart, having his worst fears confirmed. The fear manifested itself as a haphazard swing in the other man’s direction, but it was too slow for Edgeworth.

Or rather, Edgeworth was too fast for him. He caught the blow with his own staff easily and then just as quickly, aimed for his shoulder. Phoenix didn’t block it fast enough.

That marked 0-1.

Phoenix took a step back and searched for his weaknesses. There didn’t seem to be any, other than the fact that he seemed slightly less guarded… no, it wasn’t that. He just seemed less on edge…

_He’s underestimating me._

Phoenix took advantage of the fact and poured all his strength into his next move. He appeared like he was going in for a strike to the chest, which Edgeworth swiftly moved to block, but then ducked immediately afterwards to forcefully grasp his leg and pull him off his feet.

Edgeworth’s back hit the floor, and Phoenix held the staff to his neck, directly under his chin. He couldn’t hide a triumphant smile, seeing the look on Edgeworth’s face. The audience whooped in the background.

They got up once again, sizing each other up. Edgeworth’s eyes seemed sharper now, and filled with something that wasn’t there at the beginning of the match. Then, he flew at Phoenix again.

The match continued in a flurry of hits and movements, with neither side relenting or giving way. Eventually, after Phoenix had been pinned down the second time, Mia intervened.

“Enough!”

Edgeworth backed off, attempting to control his breathing and appear collected while Phoenix fell to the ground, panting to catch his breath.

“I believe we’ve seen enough,” Mia added, nodding with a small, knowing smile.

Phoenix brushed the sweat from his brow and looked up at Edgeworth, extending a hand. “Looks like we’ll be seeing each other in the Drift.”

Edgeworth stared at him for a moment, expression unreadable.

“We’ll see,” he finally said.

.&.

Later that afternoon, Phoenix and Edgeworth were both summoned to the Simulation Room. Phoenix had encountered him a few times before that, though, in the cafeteria and in the dormitories. He had attempted to try and speak to him again, but Edgeworth kept it light and short. He didn’t give him an opportunity to speak any further, always occupied with one thing or the other.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was hurt, yes, but… at least something was happening now. He had an excuse to see Edgeworth, at least. He had the chance to do something, or to help.

He was determined to solve the mystery behind Miles Edgeworth’s silence.

Mia had them both stand by each other and explained how the Drift would work. Once inside, both had to be open to establishing a Neural Bridge. Once both parties were in alignment, the simulator would allow them to begin moving as one.

Edgeworth’s gaze had been trained to the side, and he was grasping his arm tightly.

Phoenix quickly glanced at him, and realized he must have gone through this several times. He wondered if the reason Edgeworth’s inability to Drift with anyone had to do with his apparent silence and cold attitude.

“Alright. Are you two ready?”

Phoenix entered the Jaegar simulation and fit his arm through the right hemisphere’s robotic arm. He flexed his fingers experimentally, enjoying the foreign sensation. His interest and curiosity was in stark comparison to Edgeworth’s dull, mechanic movements. He stepped his left foot into the contraption and adjusted himself, pulling the helmet above over his head.

The two of them were essentially contained in a sphere that would simulate co-piloting a Jaegar. Phoenix’s eyes were shining with determination, once again in contrast to Edgeworth, though alert still seemed apathetic.

“Prepare for neural handshake,” one of the technicians stated as he flipped several switches on the control board.

“Initiate neural handshake.”

Phoenix turned his head slightly, observing Edgeworth as they fired up the equipment. How long had it been since he had been this close to him?

And who would have thought our circumstances would have been like this?

Edgeworth pointedly looked ahead, refusing to engage in eye contact, though he seemed aware of the probing eyes.

Phoenix’s mind was slightly distant from the memories, so he only barely registered Mia’s booming voice telling them to prepare themselves.

And then, he heard a harsh ringing in his ears as it felt like the back of his mind was being tugged and stretched against gravity. It was painless, but uncomfortable and alarming nonetheless. Phoenix felt the panic rise within him as he was soon plunged into a different world, a familiar one, nonetheless, where he was back in his second grade classroom.

The memories came tumbling through, one after another. The time when Larry pushed him into a puddle and then apologized by saying they could be friends. The time when their class had Valentine’s day and he was bullied into admitting he liked a girl. The time Edgeworth had defended him.

His words rang loud and clear in the classroom: “Innocent until proven guilty.” Phoenix remembered, he had wanted to be a lawyer.

“Wright is stabilised. I repeat, Wright is stabilised!” one of the technicians said.

“Edgeworth is still out of alignment.”

Edgeworth stood next to Wright, eyes screwed shut tightly as it seemed like he was struggling against the force.

_It’s only my own memories…_

And then, the system came whirring back down again.

“Neural handshake failed. Would you like to try again?”

The robotic limbs encasing their own released immediately, and Edgeworth was the first one to step outside, seemingly still mentally disturbed from the experience. His eyes had darkened and he was pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to recollect himself.

Phoenix stared down at his palms, which had become sweaty and slightly shaky from the experience of linking his brain with the system.

“I was sure it was going to work this time,” Mia remarked, appearing genuinely concerned. She bit her lip and stared at the screen pensively, clearly wondering what went wrong.

“Looks like I’m done here,” Edgeworth said, irritation evident in his tone. “Let me know when you find the next set of matches.”

Edgeworth filed out, leaving only Phoenix, Mia, and the other technicians in the room.

_That was… a lot. It could feel him… resisting next to me, almost. I wonder what’s making him act like this…_

  
Phoenix’s expression soon began to mirror Mia’s, though for a different reason altogether. He was starting to get the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong here.

“Hey, sis!” An enthusiastic voice chirped. A young girl donning jeans and a t-shirt came skipping through the door. It didn’t seem like she worked there.

“So, how’d it go this time with Edgey? You said things were looking good!” The girl approached them both, giving Mia an expectant look.

“Unfortunately not,” Mia replied.

She blinked. “Oh.”

Phoenix looked between them, unsure of what to say.

Mia shook her head, seemingly deciding something. “Anyway, Phoenix, this is my sister, Maya. She’s currently in-training to become a LOCCENT officer like me.

“Hey!” Maya waved, beaming at Phoenix.

“Hi,” he replied, unable to hold back a smile at her enthusiasm.

“So what happened in there? I heard that you and Edgey’s match was super intense and that you played off of each other perfectly! There shouldn’t have been trouble with the drift this time!” Maya exclaimed, both hands in fists.

Phoenix shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really, erm… spoken to him that much. I don’t really know what his deal is.”

_I guess I can leave out the part that we were childhood friends for now. They don’t need to know._

“I suppose it’s a problem with the system,” Mia simply said, shrugging. “After all, it’s saying the the neural handshake failed… not rejected. Maybe it’s having trouble with syncing with Edgeworth alone for some reason…”

Maya gazed to the ceiling thoughtfully. “But then wouldn’t that be Edgeworth’s fault?”

“I… suppose so…” Mia said slowly. Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Wait. That’s it! The neural handshake was rejected! Not failed!”

“What?” Maya and Phoenix asked simultaneously, not quite in the loop.

“I’ll explain later. You two leave for now. I have some things to reconfigure,” Mia said, all the while ushering them out. “See you guys later!”

Phoenix and Maya stood outside, apparently confused. They exchanged glances.

Then, Maya smiled. “I want to help. Do you think there’s anything we can do?”

“I mean… I don’t think so.”

_She’s awfully sweet, but I don’t think it’s possible to force someone to open up. Even I don’t know what to do. I’m sort of just running on autopilot. I didn’t even think I’d get this far._

“Well…” Maya drawled. “How about we ask around? We can ask his friends if they know anything. We can sneak into the other information departments and see if they’ve got any dirt, too,” she added, a bit too joyfully for Phoenix’s taste.

“Are you sure that’s… morally okay?” Phoenix asked, pulling a slightly exasperated look. He didn’t want to get caught doing something he shouldn’t have been.

“Sure it is!” Maya replied with fervor. “We’re just trying to help. And if anyone asks, I’ll say Mia sent me! It all works out. Come on, I know where we should go first.”

And with that, Maya grabbed his arm and started walking.

_… What have I gotten myself into?_

.&.

“Well, this is his dorm room. Maybe his roommates would know something.” Maya placed her hands on her hips, staring at the locked door that was apparently Edgeworth’s room.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Um… how do you know where his room is again?”

“I know lots of things, Phoenix. Actually, that name is way too long. I’m going to call you Nick. Sound good?”

Phoenix shook his head at the sudden change in discussion, but shrugged nonetheless. “You didn’t answer the question.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows these things, newbie. I’ve been around the L.A. Shatterdome for a couple years now, ever since my sister started working here. Everyone’s obsessed with Edgeworth! The girls think he’s really attractive, but pretty much everyone agrees there’s something weird about him. Apparently he has some shady past or whatever. He doesn’t get along too well with everyone.”

_That’s interesting. Edgeworth might have been kinda anti-social as a kid, but he never didn’t get along with anyone._

“Shall we knock?” Maya asked, grinning at Phoenix.

Phoenix looked unsure. “I don’t know, Maya… what if Edgeworth opens the door?”

“Pssh, relax. He’s probably in the men’s showers now since the training session finished, so hopefully it’s his roommate.”

Though Phoenix wasn’t convinced, Maya went ahead and knocked anyway.

There was no answer.

_…Well that was a dead end._

“That’s okay! There’s still some other places we can go to… acquire our… information.” Maya seemed to delight in the task, further making Phoenix wonder if he should be allowing this at all.

_Not to mention, it’s weird. Does the Fightmaster’s sister usually get involved in all of this stuff?_

Their next stop was the Staff Headquarters. It served as a general common area for all of the employees who worked there, so Phoenix was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be there. Nonetheless, everyone seemed too busy or immersed in whatever they were doing that no one noticed.

Maya tried asking a few people at one of the tech stations for information about problems with Drifting. As far as they knew, problems only arose when two people were not compatible enough for it.

Eventually, they came across a room where there the center was occupied by what seemed to be an architectural model, except it was entirely holographic. The man in the center carefully tweaked it here and there, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to get it suited to his perfection.

“Hey, Larry!” Maya waved.

Phoenix shook his head, looking to Maya, wondering if he heard that correctly. Then, he looked back at the man, and realized he indeed had.

“Hey, Ma— Nick!!! What are you doing here?!” Larry immediately dropped the task, pointing an accusing finger at Phoenix with a flabbergasted expression.

“I’d like to ask you the same,” Phoenix replied without missing a beat, though his brain still reeling a bit from all the childhood flashbacks.

Larry still grinned, and came over to give him a quick hug. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen ya!”

Phoenix patted him on the back sheepishly, though his smile was genuine. “I know you were busy, but I had no idea this is what you were busy with. You work here??”

Larry pulled back from the hug and flashed him a thumbs up and grinned. “I sure do! I’m a Creative Engineer. But what about you? Wait, don’t tell me… you’re a ranger?!”

Phoenix nodded. “I am. Or at least, going to be. That’s funny though… I messaged you all the while and neither of us knew we were going to end up in the same place.”

“Well, I did think it was a little sus’ when good ol’ Nicky-boy went off the grid for around a year, but I thought you had become one of those starving hobo artists after graduating!”

Phoenix’s face deadpanned. “Larry, we’ve been over this. Yes, it’s an Arts degree, but I’m theater.”

“Fine, a starving hobo actor then.”

Maya suddenly jumped in between them. “Wait wait wait, hold on. How long exactly have you guys known each other?”

Phoenix shrugged. “Pretty long time. Since childhood, I’d say.”

“Nick here is my main manz,” Larry said proudly, throwing an arm around Phoenix’s shoulder. “At least one childhood friend talks to me around here!”

Phoenix’s eyes widened with a jolt, realizing who Larry was talking about.

Maya raised her eyebrow. “Who’s the other one?”

“Edgey, of course! Didn’t I tell you this? Me, him, and Nick all used to know each other, and…”

Maya’s jaw dropped, and she pointed at Larry accusingly, before switching to Phoenix, before switching back to Larry. “But you… and you… what’s going on!?”

Phoenix sighed, and shrugged Larry’s arm off. He figured there was no use in hiding the truth any longer.

_Let’s get this over with._

“Yeah, it’s true, Maya. All of us were friends. Meaning… I did know Edgeworth.”

Maya stared. “And… then why…”

“I don’t know him anymore, though,” Phoenix added. “Since the moment I saw him here, he… pretends like he never knew me at all. And even then, Edgeworth started ignoring us a long time ago, right after he moved away.”

Larry nodded. “Yeah, we used to write him so many letters, but he never replied. He never told us he was moving, either. We had to find out from the teacher.”

Phoenix decided to leave out the fact that that he wrote letters far after Larry stopped. “We don’t know where he even moved to. We couldn’t find his address or anything, so we think it’s possible he left the country or something.”

There was a silence afterwards. Maya seemed to be absorbing the information, a faraway look in her eyes. It was a lot to consider, and she couldn’t help but feel that it seemed highly personal — especially to Phoenix.

As much as Phoenix may have tried to deny it, it did matter to him. Edgeworth was the entire reason he had decided to become a ranger. Some part of him knew that he was probably the only one that cared enough to reach out, and…

_I’m the only one who can help Edgeworth._

That was it. That’s what he had known all along, and was simultaneously what had pushed him to this stage. He couldn’t stop now.

“Larry,” Phoenix said, his brows furrowing with determination. “Is there anything you know that can help us find out what happened to Edgeworth?”

Larry scratched his head. “Uh… I guess Cindy might know. She’s my girlfriend, and she’s got a TON of connections in the department. She’s just the sweetest, Nick!”

Phoenix rolled his eyes, but finally nodded. “Alright. Can we meet her now?”

“Sure!” Larry nodded and whipped out his cellphone immediately, pressing the only contact listed in his ‘favorites’ section.

Within a few brief moments, Phoenix and Maya were introduced to Cindy Stone, who was supposedly Larry’s new girlfriend. She seemed normal enough, but Phoenix had to wonder how normal she was if she was going out with Larry.

Maya seemed to read his thoughts and looked over at Phoenix and chuckled silently, to which Phoenix shook his head and smiled.

“I wouldn’t be able to help, but Dick Gumshoe might be able to. He’s an officer and I believe he has access to where they hold some of the files. Now, you’re not supposed to access them, but he might still know something,” Cindy explained.

After thanking Cindy and letting her get back to work, Phoenix and Maya were redirected to the officers’ training gym, where Gumshoe was supposed to be.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Maya insisted, slamming down her fist on her other open palm.

Phoenix pointed ahead. “Look, Maya. I think that’s him. In the green.”

A tall, burly man in green stood across from them, conversing with some of his other fellow officers. He certainly fit the description that Cindy had given them earlier.

Phoenix and Maya looked at each other once, nodded, and decided to approach him.

“Hello, Officer Gumshoe?” Maya tapped his shoulder.

He turned around, and immediately his eyes seemed to light up.

“Hey, pal. Uh… you look familiar.”

“Yeah, you’ve probably seem me around at some point,” Maya dismissed with a wave of her hand. “But we wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor?” Gumshoe echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Phoenix nodded this time, taking a deep breath afterwards to steel himself to speak.

“Can you tell us anything about Miles Edgeworth?”


End file.
